Unjust Life
by AlphaZeta
Summary: We know how Otonashi died back when he was alive, but what about the others? These are my stories of what could have happened to them when they were alive.
1. Yuri Nakamura

_Yuri Nakamura_

"Okay. Time for another year at high school."

Yuri Nakamura, age seventeen, is preparing for her final year of high school.

"Mom, I'm heading out to school!" yelled Yuri as she dashed out the front door.

"Wait, what about your-"

Yuri was already gone before her mother can complete her sentence.

"My, my, she's energetic as usual."

* * *

><p>Yuri quickly sprinted to school. As a girl full of energy and boldness, she can be an effective leader, but at the same time, someone with some crazy ideas.<p>

"Oh, good morning Yuri!" yelled a girl with long blond hair and blue eyes.

"Hi Kanako-chan!" yelled Yuri.

"Ah…good morning, Yuri. It's already our final year of high school."

"I know! Can't wait to be CEO of a company, or president of a huge corporation, or even leader of Japan!"

"Your ambitions never seem to surprise me…"

"Muahahaha!"

"Heehee. Well, let's find our classes then."

"Yes! Let's go!"

Yuri sprinted up to the class board while Kanako slowly followed her.

"Move it, you idiots!" yelled Yuri as she pushes people out of the way.

"Y-yuri, can you find my class as well?" asked Kanako as she gets shoved around.

"Will do!"

Yuri let off a battle cry as she charged straight for the board. She made it through the crowd and looked at the board.

"Let's see…Yuri Nakamura, Yuri Nakamura…ah! Class A-2. And now for Kanako…Kanako Fern…Kanako Fern…ah!"

Yuri turned around and waved her hand.

"You're in class A-1, Kanako!"

"Thanks, Yuri!" replied Kanako.

Yuri squeezed her way back through the crowd and reached Kanako.

"Man…that sucks. We didn't get the same class this year," said Yuri.

"I wish we did too. Oh well, we could always just eat lunch together," said Kanako.

"Yeah, that's true. Hmm…wanna hang out in the school yard while we wait for the bell?"

"Sure. We still have about eighteen minutes."

Yuri and Kanako walked over to the school lawn. On their way though, Yuri saw another high school girl say goodbye to her younger siblings. Yuri stopped walking and remembered about her siblings: they were so cheerful, fun, energetic, and in her mind, the best siblings in the world.

""Yuri?" asked Kanako with a concerned expression.

"…Hmm? Sorry. I must have dozed off while walking. Hehe…" answered Yuri with an innocent looking smile.

"Oh, ok, but if you're doing it here, won't it be worse in the classroom?"

"Don't worry. I'm aiming for the top, remember?"

Yuri pointed to the sky and said quietly, "And getting my revenge on a certain someone…"

"Hehe. True! Just make sure not to doze off in class then."

"Don't worry! I won't!"

They continued walking.

Yuri took one final look at the little kids waving goodbye to their older sister.

"If only God didn't provide this unjust life…"

* * *

><p>The school bell rang, signaling the end of a day.<p>

"Don't forget to read the class outline! There just might be a pop quiz on it!" yelled the homeroom teacher.

All of the students moaned.

"Piece of cake! And after that quiz, there would be only about…three hundred days left!" yelled Yuri as she runs out the classroom door.

She headed for the front gates, where Kanako was waiting. Kanako sees Yuri as she dida full arm wave, and Kanako waved back with only her hand.

"Ready?" asked Yuri.

"Mhm," answered Kanako.

Yuri and Kanako turned right of the gates and started walking.

"How was your first day, Yuri?"

"Uh…well, it was so boring and slow with all of the introductions. You?"

"Hehe. Well, I met some really nice people, so it was fine."

"That's good to hear. At least we only have a year left till we start our life outside of school!"

"Yep, but I am kind of sad about that though."

"Hmm? Why?"

"Everyone will go to faraway places. It will be hard to let go."

"Oh…don't worry, you should be happy if they do go to faraway places; it just means they're working hard to fulfill their dreams."

"You're right. What about you?"

"Hmm? What about me?"

"Where are you going after high school?"

"Oh…uh…I don't know."

"Somewhere faraway?"

"I don't know…faraway places can be scary, right? Hehe."

"Yeah. It could be scary, but think about all the new friends you can make. They can be all types of people: calm, caring, crazy, and possibly even someone that can't speak Japanese."

"Haha! Yeah! Then I can use them all for my own plans! Muahahaha!"

"N-no…that's not what I meant."

"Hehe. Just kidding. I kind of do want to meet those people though."

"I'm sure you'll see them one day."

"Yeah, I hope so."

The girls approached a four way intersection.

"Okay. See you tomorrow?" asked Yuri.

"Yeah, good night, Yuri," answered Kanako.

"Good night, Kanako."

Yuri turned right while Kanako turned left. They started walking in opposite directions of each other.

"I wonder what those people would be like though…" said Yuri quietly.

* * *

><p>Yuri continued walking until she saw a small girl crying on the side of the sidewalk. She walked over to her.<p>

"Hey, what's wrong?" asked Yuri.

"I-t's my first *sniffles* first day of school, b-but I'm lost and *sniffles* I don't know where my house is," answered the small girl.

"Wait, where are your mom and dad then? Aren't they supposed to come pick you up?"

"My m-mommy and d-daddy *sniffles* have work. They said they c-couldn't pick me up and *sniffles* I have to walk home, but I'm l-lost."

The girl started to weep even more.

"O-oh…uh…I can help you get home if you remember what it looked like and other things around it," said Yuri.

"W-well, my house is big and *sniffles* and it's white. All I remember is that I walked by a *sniffles* a store called 'Green Groceries'."

"Green Groceries…oh! I know where that is! C'mon, I can take you home."

Yuri grabbed her hand.

"Y-you sure?" asked the girl.

"Don't worry, I used to shop there all the time for food," answered Yuri.

The girl displayed a huge smile on her face.

"Thanks, onee-chan!"

"Onee-chan?"

"Mhm! You act like one so I'm going to call you onee-chan!"

"Heh. Alright then!"

Yuri and the girl start walking to "Green Groceries."

"Haven't been called onee-chan in a long time…"

* * *

><p>They soon get to the store.<p>

"Do you remember what direction you walked past it?" asked Yuri.

"Um…oh, I know I passed those bikes on my way to school," answered the girl as she pointed at the bikes parked outside of the store.

"Okay. That means we just follow that path away from the bikes. Which way did you walk past the bikes?"

"Um…oh, I saw that lamp ahead of me when I walked past them."

The girl pointed at the lamp to the right of the bikes.

"Okay! Let's go left then."

Yuri and the girl started walking left.

"Ah! There it is!" shouted the girl in excitement over seeing her own house.

"Oh, I see," said Yuri.

It was a tall while house with a beautiful green lawn.

"Just like the old house…" whispered Yuri under her breath.

Flashbacks of the burglary at her old house started to cloud Yuri's mind.

"Onee-chan?" asked the girl as she tugs on Yuri's uniform.

"S-sorry. I've been dozing off a lot lately," answered Yuri.

"It's ok. C'mon! I'll show you around the house!"

The girl started running to her house.

"Wait!"

Yuri quickly chased after her.

The girl unlocked the door with a key from her backpack. She opened the door.

"Yay! Come in, onee-chan!"

"Oh…I don't think I should. I think your parents would be kind of worried that you're in the house with a stranger…"

"Don't worry! I'll tell them the whole thing about you saving me from being lost!"

"Uh…you sure they will accept that?"

"Mhm! Mommy and daddy are nice people!"

"Ok then, if you say so."

Yuri and the girl stepped into the house.

"Wow, it's really nice in here!" shouted Yuri.

"Yeah. Mommy and daddy like to travel a lot and bring stuff back for the house!" answered the girl.

"Oh, I see. This is amazing!"

There were vases with colorful carvings, paintings and pictures covered the walls, chandeliers hung high over their heads, many books that littered book shelves, and a great amount of really neat furniture.

"Sit down and watch TV with me!" shouted the girl.

"Alright," said Yuri.

Yuri took off her backpack and sat down on the couch.

"Wow…so comfy…"

"I know! Mommy and daddy say I deserve only the best couches!"

"Oh, what about your brothers and sisters?"

"I don't have any so it can get lonely…"

"Oh…I see."

Yuri looked around.

"Well then, as your onee-chan, I promise to come play with you everyday!" shouted Yuri.

The girl developed a big smile.

"Really?" asked the girl.

"Yes, really! Oh, before I forget, what's your name?"

"Shuko Ibuki. I'll still call you onee-chan, but what's yours?"

"Yuri Nakamura. Pleased to meet you."

"Ple…plea…I'm happy to meet you too!"

Yuri smiles.

"Hehe. So, what do you want to do first? Unless you just want to stay here and watch TV."

"Um…I've always wanted to play hide and go seek. I didn't get a chance to play it today."

"Okay! You hide and I'll find you."

"Yay!"

The girl started running into another room.

"One…two…three!"

Yuri finished counting.

"Where could she be…"

Suddenly, Yuri heard glass shattering. The alarms in the house went off and Yuri tried to find out where that shattering came from. She ran into the room next door.

"Shuko? You in here? Shu-"

Yuri stopped when she saw a man with a burglar mask on, holding a gun to Shuko's forehead. Yuri's eyes widened as her mind is flooded with flashbacks of the horrible incident that happened to her siblings years ago.

"Where's the money?" demanded the burglar.

"Mommy and daddy said not to give money to strangers!" yelled Shuko.

"Shut up, little girl! You, bring me some money!"

Yuri stood there, frozen from the situation.

"You listening? If you don't, I'll kill her!"

Yuri snapped out of her frozen state.

"Okay…just don't hurt her," said Yuri as she ran into another room trying to find money.

"This is…this is…"

The flashbacks of the robbery that happened years appeared in her mind.

"This is just like last time…"

Yuri found a bright clear stone that seemed valuable.

"This might work…"

Yuri ran back to the room with the burglar and Shuko.

"Well? Got my money?" yelled the burglar.

"I got a diamond. I'll give it to you if you let go of her," answered Yuri.

"Fine, come over here then."

Yuri walked over to the burglar.

"Onee-chan, don't do it!" shouts Shuko.

"You, quiet!"

The burglar loaded the trigger and Shuko's eyes widened.

"You bastard…you better not hurt her!" shouted Yuri.

Cop sirens can be heard outside.

"Crap, it's the police! Screw it, I'll just kill you both and take the diamond!"

Yuri's eyes widened and the burglar is just about to shoot Shuko.

"I won't…" whispered Yuri.

The burglar's finger was starting to press onto the trigger.

"I won't…"

Shuko's eyes started developing tears.

"I won't let God take anyone else!"

"What?" shouted the burglar.

Yuri threw the diamond at the burglar's head, forcing him to stumble backwards. Yuri tackled him and knocked him to the ground. Yuri struggled with the burglar as she grabbed his arms.

"Shuko! Get away from here! Find a place to hide and stay there!" yelled Yuri.

"Onee-chan…what about you?" shouted Shuko.

"Just go! The police will be here soon! So go! I'll be fine! Just-"

A shot went off. Yuri felt an intense pain on her stomach. She lost her grip on the burglar. The burglar got up and took off running outside. Yuri putted her hand to her stomach. Then, she looked at her hand, which was covered in blood.

"Is this…my blood?"

"Onee-chan!" yelled Shuko as she ran over to Yuri, who was now in a pool of her own blood.

"Onee-chan, onee-chan!" cried Shuko.

"Dammit…can't I even be an older *coughs* older sister for one day?" said Yuri, weakly.

"Onee-chan…sorry for bringing you here…"

"Hehe…it's alright, Shuko. It's not your fault."

"I'm so sorry, onee-chan!"

Shuko sobbed with all of her might over Yuri.

"It's fine. It's my fault for not being a better onee-chan…"

"Onee-chan…stay with me!"

"Hehe. Sorry, Shuko. I don't think I can last any longer."

"Onee-chan!"

"At least…I can finally…go seek my revenge…on God…for making such an unjust life…"

Yuri blacked out and heard one final "Onee-chan!" from Shuko.

* * *

><p>Yuri and Otonashi stand on the rooftop of the afterlife high school. Yuri finishes drinking her can of tea.<p>

"You know…you never did tell me how you died. Are you ever going to tell me?" says Otonashi.

"Well…maybe, maybe not. If I do, it'll be some time later," says Yuri as she throws her can away.

"Wait, why not now? We have time and-"

Yuri starts walking towards the door.

"C'mon, we have to begin Operation Tornado."

Otonashi sighs.

"Fine."

They walk back to principle's room, where the rest of the SSS brigade members were hanging out.

* * *

><p>"Welcome back, Yuri!" shouts Matsushita.<p>

"Thanks, Matsushita 5-dan," says Yuri.

"You! You didn't do anything funny with her, right?" asks Noda as he brings his halberd up to Otonashi's neck.

"N-no! We didn't do anything!" answers Otonashi.

"Man, I was getting bored around here," says Fujimaki.

"You're always bored, Fujimaki," says Ōyama.

"Not my fault these operations don't begin sooner."

"How shallow-minded," says Shiina, who was in the corner.

"What did you say?" shouts Fujimaki.

"This body," says Takamatsu as he rips off his shirt, "is ready for anything!"

"Stop taking your clothes off, it's bad for women like me!" shouts Yui with a disgusted expression.

"Takamatsu…and calm down, Yui. He just wants to show off his body…and you're nowhere near a woman!" says Hinata.

"Am too!" shouts Yui.

"Are not!" shouts Hinata.

"Yo, yo! Let's get this party started!" yells TK as he spins around.

"Anyways, what's the plan this time, Yurripe?" asks Hinata.

Yuri sits down in her chair.

"I'm glad you ask," says Yuri.

Monitors and screens come down and displays the SSS symbol.

"We will commence Operation Tornado!"

"Again?" asks Fujimaki.

"Oh well. Guess some food would be nice," says Matsushida.

"Hehe. I'm glad you think so," says Yuri.

The screen behind her changes to a picture of the stadium where Girls Dead Monster holds their concerts.

"Same plan as usual. Yui, make sure Girls Dead Monster get the crowd fired up."

"I will!" answers Yui as she does a little salute and wags her tail.

"Everyone else, keep Angel at bay until we can get our meal tickets."

"Got it!" answers everyone else.

"Well then…"

Yuri looks at the group of people that have joined her, making her fight possible, but at the same time, being able to meet such great people.

"Kanako…I'm glad that I'm able to meet these people. They really are good friends," thinks Yuri.

"Operation…start!"


	2. TK

_TK_

"Get the hell out of here!" yelled a store manager.

A blond teenage boy ran out of the convenience store.

"C'mon man, can't I have another chance? Don't let me cry!" asked the blonde boy.

"After you destroyed the junk food isle? Hell no!"

"C'mon…I need the money and-"

The manager started throwing things at the blond boy. He quickly ran away from the area. The blonde boy wandered the streets. He was not good at anything. He has been fired from every job he worked at. All he really had was his mother and his music. He put his hands in his pockets and kicked rocks as he walked home.

"Yo, TK.!" shouted a brown haired teenage boy across the street.

The blonde boy looked across the street in response to his name. The other boy was running to TK.

"Hey, Justin," said TK.

"Wassup man?"

"Ah…just got fired again."

"Man, times must be hard then."

"Nah, I just suck at everything."

"Don't say that, man. You still practicing your break dance moves?"

"…that's what got me fired."

"What? What do you mean?"

"I was practicing a head spin in the store, but my legs opened too wide and I ended up kicking everything off the shelves."

Justin sighed.

"Easy come, easy go, right?"

"You dumbass. Oh yeah, how's your mom?"

"My mom's doing fine."

TK's mother was very weak and rested in her bed most of the day. She used to be a cop until she contracted a terminal illness that started to weaken her body, which forced her to resign.

"I wonder what she's gonna say when you tell her that you lost your job again."

"It'll be fine. See ya, I gotta go."

"See ya, TK."

TK continued heading home as Justin walked away. Justin stopped and turned around.

"Oh, TK!"

TK turns around.

"Yeah?"

"Don't forget! Get chance and luck!"

TK smiled and gave him a thumb up.

"Yeah!"

They started walking away to their homes.

* * *

><p>TK opened the door to his house. It was not anything extravagant. It was a plain house with a simple wooden door. It had one bathroom and two bedrooms.<p>

"Terrance? Is that you?" called out an elderly woman's voice.

"Yeah, mom. I'm home," answered TK

"You're home early."

TK saw his mom trying to get out of her bed.

"No, mom, don't try to get up. You might collapse again."

"Can't a mom even give her own son a hug?"

She wobbled a little bit.

"Mom!"

She sat down onto her bed.

"Oh, I'm alright. You worry too much, Terrance."

His mom lied back down onto her bed.

"How was work today?"

"It was, uh…"

He made an ashamed face. His mom sighed.

"What did you do this time?"

"Don't worry, mom. I'll get us the money in no time."

"Terrance, I know you're trying hard, but please don't overwork yourself."

Terrance looked away and saw his father's frame. His father wore a red bandana as he posed with some fellow soldiers.

"I'm also sure that your father would be worried about you too."

"Mom…"

His father had died in the war. The body was buried at a national cemetery. The only thing returned to them was his red bandana, which is now displayed in front of the picture.

"Find a job that you like. Don't force yourself to try and become someone else."

"Thanks, but if it were that easy, I would have done it by now. I'll just look for more part time jobs around the block tomorrow."

"Terrance…"

"It's fine. I think I just want to rest in my room for now. Do you want me to do anything, mom?"

"No, no. I'm fine. Go take a nap if you want. I'll be here and read my book."

"Okay."

TK walked down the hallway to his room. As he walked to his room, he passed by a stack of bills. It started to pile up. He looked at them with disgust and moved onto his room. He opened the door to his room. It was littered with CDs and magazines. He picks up his iPod and listens to his music. To him, this was truly what he ever had. His music soothed his soul and helped him get through rough times. It helped him deal with the loss of his father and the acknowledgement that his mother is terminally ill. With his music, all he was ever good at was dancing. He practiced everyday. Moonwalking, breakdancing, and regular warm up exercises kept him fit and busy.

"Oh yeah. I still have to finish my daily routine," said TK to himself.

He got up and cleared some space. He did some push-ups and sit-ups. Then, he got ready to practice his dance moves.

"C'mon, let's dance."

He turned to his favorite song and started dancing. He began moving back and forth, shuffling his feet. Then he did a quick spin and moonwalked towards his door. He followed it up with a three step and quickly switched to an outlaw step. Then he placed his hand onto the floor and prepared to do a windmill. He kicked the opposite leg from the direction of the door, and then quickly spun to gain the momentum to rotate himself around onto his back and back onto his front. He got ready to do a headspin. He rolled forward, landing his head on the ground, and propelled his body straight up. He put his hands on the ground, ready to spin. Sweat falls down due his nervousness since he has never been able to does this move correctly. He twisted his body and angled his hands so he can spin left. He pushes off. He spun a complete cycle, then another, then another, and then does a final cycle. He stops himself from spinning and quickly gets up.

"I did it!" proclaimed TK.

He felt accomplished.

"Heh. Even if I'm not talented in anything else but this, I will surely get enough money to pay the bills and mom's treatment."

He opened the door and ran out to the living room. He picked up the telephone and began to dial a number. There was a ring. Then the phone got picked up during the second ring.

"Hello?" asked the voice.

"Justin! Is the B-boy competition still open?"

"The one for Japan? Wait, don't tell you're actually going to enter after all," said Justin.

TK rejected Justin's invitation the first time because he thought he was not good enough, but now, he feels confident that he can actually win.

"I have to. The grand prize is fifty thousand dollars, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but…the people heading there are at the top of their game, definitely way more skillful than you."

"Who cares if they are? It doesn't once I beat them."

"You said confident."

"That's because I am confident."

"What do you mean?"

"Look, just let me join up with you on the way to Japan. I know you're going too."

"Well…I'll let you come along if you have the money for the flight."

"How much is it?"

"Thirteen hundred bucks."

"Are you serious?"

"Sadly, yeah. Do you have the money to get a ticket?"

TK looked over to an envelope left behind by his father. His father had left him with two thousand dollars before he went to fight in the war.

"Great. Just get to the airport tomorrow then. I'll meet you there. You're lucky we still had one spot open on our crew. You remember Keith and Jenny, right?"

"Yeah. Are they the other members?"

"Yeah. They're the best people I could find. As you know, I invited you too, but you didn't want to. Glad to see that you changed your mind."

"Yeah. I need to win this more than anything."

TK remembered the bills on the table.

"Okay. That's a good attitude! Oh...what about your mom though?"

"Oh, right."

TK remembered that his mom will have to alone here while he's gone.

"I'll take care of that. Just be ready when I get there."

"Will do. See ya tomorrow morning at the airport then. We should be there around six or seven."

"Yeah. See ya."

He hung up the phone.

"Man…scrambled it, troubled down. This is going to be hard to explain."

He walked over to his mom's room.

"Terrance, did you need something?"

"I don't know how to say this…"

"Say what honey?"

He kneels by her bedside.

"I…I want to go to a break dancing contest in Japan! I want to win the money!"

There was silence within the room for a few seconds, but for TK, it seemed to take forever. Then, his mom patted his head.

"That's great."

She smiled. That was the smile that TK loved to see.

"But that's means that you'll be here alone…"

"Oh, it's alright. I've been able to take care of myself before, so don't worry. Go dance, TK!"

TK turned to his side to look away.

"Hmm? Something wrong, Terrance? I said you could go. In fact, I would be happy if you were chasing your dreams."

"It's not that…it's just…"

He pondered for a second. His mom looked at him curiously.

"I'm just sorry."

"Eh? About what?"

"About not being talented in anything else but dancing. I wish I had the talent to be able to make a lot of money so we could pay the bills easier and you could get better…"

"Oh, is that it? Haha! Terrance, it's fine. Listen, it doesn't matter how many things you're talented in, it only matters if you focus on a talent you really enjoy. That way, you can find its true potential and become recognized for it."

She smiled again. He felt happy after hearing those words.

"Thanks, mom."

"Oh it's nothing. Besides, if your dad was here, he would be fully supported of your decision."

"Really?"

"Yeah, just like how I fully supported him and you."

"Yeah."

He looked at the picture again. For some reason, he felt happy to see his dad's face. Then he thought of something as he looked at the red bandana.

"Oh, mom, I don't know if you'll let me, but can I wear dad's bandana when I go to Japan?"

"Eh? Sure, but why?"

"Because when I show them my talent, I want something to make me stand out, make people remember who Terrance Keegan is, and I think dad's bandana would be noticeable…and I always thought that it would look cool to wear around my head."

She reached for the bandana and grabbed it. She handed it over to TK.

"If he was here, this would be like him passing the Keegan family honor to his son. Hehehe."

"Hehe. Thanks mom."

"You should thank your dad too. He was able to bring this back."

"Yeah. Thanks dad."

"Now, now! You have a plane to catch. When is it?"

"Around six or seven in the morning tomorrow."

"Oh! You should sleep early then. Here, I'll help you pack your things."

His mom tried to get up.

"No, no, no! Mom, you stay here and rest! I'll be able to pack on my own. Don't worry."

"C'mon, Terrance! I'll help you pack. I want to at least know you're packing stuff to last in Japan."

"It's not like I'm going away forever or anything…"

"Heh, but even when you go out for just a short while, I still miss you."

"Good to know then."

"Now then…"

She makes a kissing face.

"I kiss you!"

She kissed him on the cheek.

"Gah! Mom! I'm not a kid anymore!"

He started wiping off the saliva on his cheek. His mom laughed.

"It's still fun to do that! Haha!"

She slowly got out of bed and TK supported her as they walk over to his room.

"Wow…you really haven't cleaned this place…"

"Sorry…"

They made their way around the CDs and magazines and reached his closet.

"Now where is it…oh! There it is!"

His mom pulls out a suitcase.

"Alright, time to start packing."

They started grabbing clothes and folded them up. Then, they stacked them into the suitcase.

"Haha! You're going to need a lot of these!" said his mom as she stretched out a pair of boxers.

"Mom!" yelled TK as he takes his boxers away from his mom's hands.

They continued until the suitcase was full.

"Phew, I think that's it."

"Yeah. I have everything I need for Japan. Thanks mom."

"Aw, it's nothing."

TK helped his mother up from the floor and supported her back to her room. She lied down onto the bed again.

"It's getting late. Both of us should be going to sleep. Especially you since you have a plane to catch tomorrow."

"Yeah. You should sleep too."

"Don't worry. I will. Good night, Terrance."

"Good night mom."

He walked out of the room and closed the door. He started heading back to his room. He entered his room.

"This is it, isn't it?"

He walked over to the desk that his dad's bandana is on. He grabs it and went over to his bed. He sat down on his bed and looked at the bandana.

"Yeah…I will definitely win that contest."

He lied down on his bed, pulled the blankets over him, and went to sleep.

* * *

><p>"Come back home with a trophy, okay?" said his mom as she waved goodbye.<p>

She was sitting in the car as she saw TK off.

"I will! If things get too hard, you better call your sister."

"Don't worry. I'll call your aunt if anything comes up."

"Okay, see ya mom."

"Mhm. Good luck."

He opened the car door.

"Wait, wait!"

TK turned around.

"What happened?"

"I forgot to give you this!"

She held up a wrapped up gift box.

"What's this?"

"Well, since you're a taking a part of your dad with you, I might as well give you something as well! And, this could be a late birthday present since I wasn't able to do anything for your birthday."

"Aw…mom. You didn't have to."

"Of course I have to. I'm your mom!"

She pouted.

"Alright, alright."

He took the box. He ripped up the wrapping paper. He opened up the box and inside was a pair of handcuffs with a string going through the middle. He realized it was a necklace.

"Mom…how did you…"

"I still had a pair of those around, so I fashioned a necklace for you to wear along with your dad's bandana. Now, you have a part of both of us."

"Thanks, mom!"

TK put on the necklace. He flicked his new necklace.

"These are cool!"

"Hehe. I'm happy you said that!"

His mom smiled.

"Now, now. You should go before you miss your plane!"

"Oh right! Bye mom!"

"Bye, Terrance!"

He closed the door and put on his earphones. He started walking towards the entrance of the airport as his mom drove away. He snapped his fingers to the beats of the song that he was listening to.

* * *

><p>"Yo, TK!" shouted a teenage girl.<p>

TK kept walking. His earphones blocked any sounds from the outside.

"He's listening to music isn't he…" asked a teenage boy.

"Seems like it…"

"TK!"

TK heard his name since the music was changing. He turned in the direction that he was being called from. He saw Justin, a girl, and a boy.

"Hey!" shouts TK.

He paused his music and began jogging over to them.

"Hey, so I heard you decided to come with us at the last minute," said the girl.

"Yeah. Long time no see, Jenny."

"Heh, nice necklace."

"Thanks. It is pretty cool."

"Man, we're glad you decided to come, or else we would've had to look for a fourth member in Japan, and you were the only one in the group that knew a bit of Japanese," said the boy.

"C'mon…is that really how you greet me, Keith?"

"Heh, yeah, yeah."

"Anyways, let's go. Our plane's waiting," said Justin.

"Right. Let's hurry up!"

They start walking to their terminal.

They get their tickets and get on their plane. They find their seats. TK and Keith sat in the same while Justin and Jenny got the row behind them. TK got the window seat.

"Man…Japan. I always wanted to go there," said Keith.

"Yeah. It sounds like a great to visit," said TK

"Don't forget why we're going though. We need to win!" shouts Jenny.

"Yeah. Fifty grand would be nice, but then there's four of us so we would get twelve and a half grand each," says Justin.

"More than what I'm getting now!" said Keith.

"Yeah, I think that's the same for all of us."

"I'm guessing we're going to have to sit here for a while. How long are we going to sit here?" asked TK

"Probably around nine hours. It's going to be a long flight…" said Jenny.

"Oh well. We could just sleep most of the time," said Justin.

"Yeah, that would probably be the fastest way to past time," said Jenny.

"Yeah. Too bad we can't practice while we're on here," said TK.

"Yeah. Nine hours would be a good amount of time."

"Oh, I almost forgot."

TK pulled out his father's bandana from his pocket.

"What's that?" asked Justin.

TK tied it around his head, covering the top part of his eyes. He smiled, snaped, and gave two thumbs up.

"Oh! It's a bandana!"

"Yeah! I thought this would look cool so I had it with me."

"Cool. It would make us stand out," said Jenny.

"Yeah, and it fits you, TK."

"Hehe. Yeah."

He gets his iPod.

"Well, if anyone needs me, just tap my shoulder."

"Okay," answered the other three.

He plugged in his earplugs and listened to his music. He looked at the window. This land will be out of view for a while.

* * *

><p>Some time passed and the plane began to gain speed. It took off and they were high above the ground. TK looked out the window. Everything looked distant and tiny. TK takes off his earplugs and looked at the scenery.<p>

"Wow! Everything is so small!" shouted TK.

"What did you expect? We're miles off the ground," said Justin.

"Hmm…we still need to come up with a group name though…" said Jenny.

"Oh yeah. We haven't come up with one since we didn't have a fourth member," said Keith.

They all pondered for a second. Then TK snaps his fingers.

"How about 'Dancers in the Shadows'?"

They all looked at him.

"Heh…I got nothing better," said Keith.

"Sounds flashy. I like it," said Justin.

"Yeah. I don't have a problem with that name either," said Jenny.

"Then it's settled. From now on, we're "Dancers of the Shadows'!" proclaimed Justin.

"Woohoo!" shouted the other three.

A person shushed them from behind.

"Ehehehehe…sorry," said Justin.

"So, what are we doing once we reach Japan?" asked Jenny.

"Well first, we should-"

Suddenly, the plane shook violently. Then, it became stable again after ten seconds.

"What the hell was that?" shouted Keith.

Then the overhead speakers went off.

"This is your captain speaking. We are experiencing some rough turbulence. Please remain calm in your seats."

The plane shook again. This time, more violently. It was as if the plane was being thrown around like a child's toy. The emergency siren goes off and oxygen masks deploy. The plane took a sudden nosedive.

"Oh my god!" screams a nearby passenger.

"We're going to crash!" yelled Justin.

TK caught a glimpse of the outside through the window. Everything was flying up faster than he can comprehend; no, the plane was just falling faster than he can comprehend. There were screams and crying everywhere. All TK could do was close his eyes and hope for the best. He could not hear anyone or feel anything. He only shouted one thing:

"Is this really how it's going to end?"

The plane crashed into the ground and caused a large boom.

TK slowly opened his eyes. There were fires and people screaming everywhere. Some people were crawling, some managed to get up, but some were slumped over in their seats. He looked around him. Keith, Justin, and Jenny seemed to be unconscious and they were breathing. TK was relieved, but there was something still bothering him. A large amount of pain was surging through his body. He did not notice it before, but there was something warm and wet around his mouth. He tried to move his arm, but his limbs will not obey. Then, he looks down. There was blood on the floor. Another drop of blood landed onto the floor. He soon realized that it was the blood that came out of his mouth. His entire body ached. He felt weak and dizzy. His legs started getting numb. TK sees his iPod. The song playing on the cracked screen was called "Knockin' on Heaven's Door." The bottom half of his body starts to feel numb and he is faintly able to hear the screams that were loud and dreadful before. Then he realized one important thing.

"I'm dying?"

That fact ran through his mind and it seemed to be accepted by his body, as his body started to get more numb.

"No! I can't die yet!"

He felt his energy escaping him.

"No! There's still something I have to do!"

His vision started to blur.

"I haven't been able to use my talent yet!"

It got harder for him to breathe properly.

"I can't…I just can't die here!"

But it was too late. Both his mind, body, and willpower know it is too late. The fact remained that was going to die here, before he reached his goal.

"I was…so close…"

His mind starts to cloud up. His breathing started getting very faint.

"I'm…sorry…Mom…Dad…"

His breathing eventually got fainter and fainter, until his body gave up and released one final breath. As the world faded to white around him, he was able to faintly hear, "TK! Stay with me TK! No, TK!"

* * *

><p>TK stands alone in the afterlife high school after fighting off the shadows that attacked him and the SSS brigade, practicing his dance moves as a daily routine, never stopping until he was able to master his talent. He stops. He finally realizes what his goal after all of this time. His goal was not to be talented in everything, but rather to just have the talent to make his mom smile. He worked hard because he did not want to see his mom sad like the time when his dad never made it back home. He just could not to see her like that ever again.<p>

"Yeah…all I ever did was to make my parents happy."

He takes off his bandana and holds his necklace in his other hand.

"But they were already proud of my talents."

He clenches them.

"Both of you were with me the whole time, and both of you were happy that I made it as far as I could."

He brought those two items up to his chest. He remembered what the last song on his iPod was.

"Knockin' on Heaven's Door…heh, and when I do knock, I hope dad lets me in."

TK accepts his fate. He is happy with his parents, his group, his new crazy friends…and himself.

"I had the talent this whole time…and I'm happy I was able to use it…"

TK disappears, leaving no trace behind.


	3. Shiina

_Shiina_

"You missed a spot you piece of worthless trash!"

The blonde woman threw the perfectly clean plate at a girl's feet. The girl's long dark blue hair did not sway and her red eyes stared forward, looking out into space.

"I'm sorry…mother," uttered the girl with disgust and hatred.

"Better watch that tone of yours, Shiina! And don't forget to clean up that mess as well!"

The blonde woman leaves as she as she finished ordering the dark blue haired girl around. Shiina Tamayaki, which was the name given to her by her mother, who passed away five years ago due to a car accident. This new "mother" was someone new that her father happened to meet and marry recently. She did not like her, and her stepmother did not like her either. Shiina was forced to do excessive chores day after day at the command of her stepmother. The only reason why she's still tolerating her is because of the reason that if she leaves, her father will have nobody to guard him and that witch will charm him into devastation. She grabbed a broom and pan nearby. She swept the broken pieces of the plate into the pan. She emptied out the pan into a nearby trashcan.

"You couldn't do better if you tried…"

She continued to wash the dishes as instructed by her stepmom. She soon moved onto sweeping the floor and scrubbing the bathtub. She retreated to her room when her stepmom stopped barking at her. She opened the door and check the time on a clock in her room.

"Oh no, it already started ten minutes ago!"

She quickly grabbed the remote on her cabinet and turned on the TV. She took out a kodachi knife that was hidden away in her pocket.

"Now, most people will try and swing their weapons as much as possible, which is a bad habit because their opponent will duck under the swing and attack from below. What you want to do is have a variety of strikes. Quick jabs, powerful lunges, and sneaky maneuvers to throw off your opponents when the time comes."

Shiina quickly jabbed through the air with her kunai knife. The program that was on the TV was called "The Way of the Ninja." She watched it as a child and never stopped. She was fascinated with ninjas, their ability to hide, to strike from the unknown, and to bring a fear into people, a fear she wants to instill her stepmom with.

"Hah!"

She lunged forward with a powerful overhead blow through the air.

"Another important aspect of handling a weapon is accuracy. Always picture what happens when you hit something before you actually perform the action. For example, if you're throwing a knife…"

The man in the TV throws a kunai knife at a target.

"…just imagine the projectile hitting the target and it will always hit."

The knife hit the target right in the center. Shiina nodded in response of the lesson. She grabbed an unused pillow from her closet and set it up across the room. She twirled a kunai knife in her finger as she tried to picture her knife hitting the pillow. She threw her knife. Her concentration slipped up as she thinks about her mom giving her that kunai knife. It veered right and bounced off the wall. She bit her lip in frustration. She walked over to her knife and picked it up. She heard footsteps outside her room and quickly hid the knife away in her pocket. Her door opened.

"What was that?" asked her stepmom.

"It was nothing. My pillow hit against the wall since my hand slipped."

"Hmph."

Her stepmom picked up the pillow and pushed Shiina with it.

"Well, be more careful next time? Hmm? Wouldn't want the house to be a mess now."

"I'm sorry. I'll be more careful."

"Good. Now be a good girl and clean up your room. And shut up off your TV! Ninjas? Ha! Nonsense! Ninjas are nothing!"

Shiina gritted her teeth to hold herself back from punching her stepmom.

"As you wish…mother."

"Hmph."

Her stepmom left the room. Shiina slowly closed the door. She gritted her teeth again. She threw the pillow across the room.

"Ninjas are nothing?"

She stared at the pillow and pulled out her knife. She threw it the next second, only thinking about hitting her stepmom's face. The knife sailed through the air and pierced the pillow, making it slump. She looked at a white puppy doll on her bed. It had a red collar around its neck. It was the last thing that her mother gave her when she was a small child. She walked over to it and picked up it. She hugged it and smiled.

"Mom…I miss you…"

This was her happiness in life, her only happiness left, and the only one that she could talk to.

* * *

><p>The next day, Shiina returned home from school. She quickly finished the chores around the house. She looked forward to going back to her room where she could be alone and not hear her stepmother's voice. She got to the room and opened her door. She noticed something strange about the door.<p>

"Huh? Didn't I leave this room open when I left?"

She went inside. What awaited her was a mess of cotton and loose pieces of cloth. She opened her eyes at the scene. The doll her mother had left her was completely torn apart. She ran over to it and dropped down to her knees over the torn doll. It was not repairable. She has patched up and fixed this doll many times, but this had too many ripped pieces of leather that cannot be put back together.

"Oh? I forgot to tell you, but a bee buzzed by me in the hallway. Your room was open and I grabbed the nearest thing I could find. Oh, and don't worry, I didn't get stung."

It was the voice she hated the most. The voice that made her blood boil and her head swell up in hate and rage.

"My, are you just going to sit there? I still have some things for you to do."

Shiina's happiness was torn apart. Her hands trembled as she picked up the pieces. Tears start to develop in her eyes, but she shook her head to fight them off.

"Oh don't be so down, Shiina! It's just a doll! A worthless one too! It was old and it wasn't even professionally made."

Shiina clenched her fists at the word "just". She grabbed her right arm to stop herself from going berserk. Her trembling stopped. She picked up the pieces and put them on top of her cabinet.

"You're going to keep that trash? I'm telling you it's worthless. It's just garbage now at best."

"…I'll keep it even if it trash."

"Really? Then you really are just like your mother. Always keeping trash, which suited her-"

Shiina smacked the table.

"Don't talk about my mom!"

Her hand and mouth reacted before her mind could process what her next actions would be. Her stepmom got stunned by the harsh reaction, and then smiled coldly.

"Heh. I guess it's okay if you want to be just like your mom then."

Her stepmom walked towards the door.

"Oh, and don't forget, I'm in charge of what you do."

She exited and closed the door behind her. Shiina bit her lip. No matter how many times she told her father what her stepmom was really like, he would deny it and called her an angel, but it worked the other way as well if her stepmom tried to accuse her of something. In other words, it was an unending cycle of torture for her.

"I hate my life…"

She sat on her bed and looked at the ripped up doll. Then, she stood up as if she got an idea.

"I'll just remake it. Mom always taught me how to make a doll from the beginning."

After she said that, she walked over to her closet and took out a sewing kit. She reassured herself. She took a big breath and began. She took pieces of leather that matched the color of the original doll. She makes quick stitches and got some black buttons that were roughly the same size as the original ones. She continued working throughout the night.

* * *

><p>"Um…T-tamayaki-san?"<p>

A quiet, shy voice woke Shiina up. She slowly opened her eyes.

"Um…classes are over so um…you sh-should go home."

They were in a high school classroom. It was already five. Shiina slept throughout the last two periods of her classes. She lifted her head and looked at the girl with a cold stare. It wasn't intentional. It's just that her eyes have that effect to look cold. The other girl looked at Shiina in fear.

"S-sorry for disturbing you!"

She quickly bowed and walked over to her two other friends that were waiting at the classroom door. They closed the door, but Shiina can still hear what they're saying.

"I told you not to wake her up. She is the school delinquent and could've hurt you," said one of the girls.

"W-well, she was just sleeping there and it will be night time soon and…um…it gets dangerous around at night," said the shy girl.

"Who cares? She's not someone that would go down easily," said the third girl.

Their footsteps got quieter as a minute went by. Shiina rubbed her forehead.

"School delinquent…"

That's right. Shiina was the school delinquent. Even though most delinquents were boys, Shiina was different than all the girls. She always came to school late, had a defiant attitude when it came to group ideas, always claiming that they were shallow-minded, and just an aura of coldness that surrounded her. They also labeled her as a delinquent due to her clothing. She had two slits on her skirt and a black scarf covering the lower part of her face, which makes her seem mysterious. It's wasn't her fault she became labeled as the school delinquent. The year has been a hell for her. Her stepmom would work her until late hours, and then she would wake up when school is about to start. Shiina didn't blame her stepmom. Instead, she took that habit as a challenge, to try and make it to school on time no matter what. It helped her train her running speed and agility. She got to school only ten minutes late now instead of an hour late at the beginning of the year. During group projects, she would always spot the mistake in an idea and tried to tell her group that the plan was not going to work, it's just that Shiina is blunt and other students took this as a threat. She just wanted to voice her own opinions on a project, but the other students would be scared of what she would say, so she stayed quiet and told them to do whatever. Since she was always late to school, she made slits in her skirt so she can move her legs easier and get there faster, and the scarf just makes her look like a ninja. The aura of coldness started back at the beginning of the year. She got to school late and there were still some male students out front. They were commenting about her good looks and how they would like "wreck" her. Shiina just ignored them and walked past them, but one of them grabbed her arm. Her reflexes grabbed the arm and broke it instantly. That's when the other boys ganged up on her. Then, it turned into a giant commotion that the entire school saw. It was a single girl versus a group of male delinquents. In the end, she was able to fend off all the offenders, but she had scratches and bruises all over her body. She was able to defeat the group of boys. Some students cheered on her on for defeating the group, while many others feared her and labeled her as a delinquent due to her cold and harsh nature. Now, that's what she was only known as, Shiina the delinquent. What she really wanted though, was someone to talk to. That someone was the puppy doll that her mother had given her. Now that it was gone, she is trying to make a new one. She looked into her backpack. There were two unfinished dolls that she got frustrated over last night.

"They're not the same as mom's…"

She sighed and grabbed her backpack. She exited the room and headed to the front side of the school. As she walked out of the building, the same group that brought the title of a delinquent upon her were standing outside.

"Oh, and there she is," said one of the boys.

Shiina glared at them and snickered.

"Hey! We still haven't forgiven you for what you did in the beginning of the year! Now everybody fears you instead of us."

"How shallow-minded. If you come for another fight, I'll gladly kick your ass again. Other than that, step out of my way."

The boys took a step back. Her words were cold and harsh, as if they were carrying intent to kill. Her red eyes showed no fear and released a feeling of uneasiness. The one in the front let off a small, nervous laugh.

"Y-you're the one that should be backing down. Look, if you give up now, we won't hurt you because…"

He smiled.

"…you are pretty damn hot. I wouldn't want to damage your body in any way."

He licked his lips.

"…other than taking your virginity."

Shiina laughed. The boy in front stopped smiling. They took another step back.

"You really are pathetic. Me, give up? Heh. If you didn't know yet…"

She glares at them with a death gaze.

"…ninjas never give up."

"Y-yeah right. You're not a ninja. They only exist in stories and cheap TV shows."

"Oh? Then that means you're even more pathetic than a made up character."

"Why you little bi-"

A kunai flew right by the boys head and stuck itself into the ground behind him. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped opened. They all turned around to look at the knife that flew past all of them. They realized it really was a kunai knife. It could have taken their eyes out, no, by the speed that it flew, it could have taken off an entire human head with sheer force. Shiina walked past the stunned group and grabbed her knife.

"Woops, my hand slipped."

She walked away, not wanting to look at the pathetic faces of the boys. She walked along the path she took everyday to get home. She didn't really want to go home so she took long walks. When she walked home, there was always one daily routine that she did. She stopped in front of an alley. She let off a small whistle.

"He should be here…"

She looked down the alleyway, waiting for someone. She heard something small moving and it emerged. It was a small, white, puppy that was abandoned here and waited for someone to pick him up. It had a blank, red collar with no name. It looked exactly like the doll that her mother gave her.

"I'm back again."

The puppy barked happily to her presence. She took out a small biscuit and put it up to the puppy's mouth to eat it. The puppy happily chewed on it. She crouched down. She had a big smile and patted his head.

"I wish I can take you home, you're so cute."

The puppy barked happily in response. She never got a dog. That's why her mother gave her that doll. Even if she wasn't able to get a real puppy, she would have that doll to keep her company.

"I'm sorry, but I just can't. If I did, who knows what that woman would do to you."

She continued patting his head. The puppy whimpered.

"Just stay safe here until someone can pick you up, okay?"

The puppy barked.

"Good boy. I'll be here tomorrow to give you more food if you're still here."

The dog panted happily. She looked up at the sun in the distance. It started setting.

"See ya. I'm sorry I haven't given you a name yet, either."

She stood back up and started to walk away. She laughed at her own contradiction.

"A delinquent that likes cute things…heh."

She walked off to her house, leaving the puppy behind in the alleyway.

* * *

><p>"Shiina! You're late again!"<p>

She got away from one problem only to be slammed down by another problem. Shiina bowed.

"Sorry…mother."

She gritted her teeth. She hated herself for staying that.

"Just get here earlier! There are many things that are needed to be done."

Here, her power was limited. She could not be the ninja she wanted to be here in this household. At school was fine, since there were always idiots that would "volunteer" themselves so she can practice, but here, she was powerless. She wanted to revolt against her stepmother. She wanted to show her who's the more powerful woman in the house, but she can't. If she does, she would lose the support of her father, and her father would distance himself even further away from her. She cannot afford to give that up.

"Yes ma'am."

She went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Throughout her chores, she only thought about one thing: how to remake the same doll that her mother gave her. The two that she worked on late last night were nothing like the one her mother made.

"What am I doing wrong?"

She finished her chores and headed to her room. She opened her backpack and took out the two dolls she tried to make and sat them on the floor. She looked at them.

"They're still cute so I won't throw them away."

She pulls out a kunai and a kodachi from her pockets.

"I should make something to hold those things…"

She looked at her drawer. She opened it. There were shurikens, kunai knives, and another kodachi.

"…yeah, I should make something to hold these."

She grabbed a belt and tied four holsters that she found. One for shurikens, one for kunai knives, and the last two at each end to hold each of her kodachis. She looked up at her clock.

"Okay. Oh, it's already on."

She found the remote and turned on the TV.

"Okay. Today, we are going to practice the art of balance."

Shiina nodded and grabbed her kodachis.

"Now, just stick out your finger and balance a knife on it. Not sideways, but having your knife tip on your fingers."

"Knife tip?"

The man on the TV show balanced his knife with the handle pointing up and the knife's blade on his finger.

"This is necessary to get a feel for your weapons. This is necessary to teach your body to stay calm around weapons. Balance is also needed to make your mind constantly think about your next move. For example, if I'm holding the knife like this, which way will it fall? How fast will it fall? How would I move my hand if it falls? Would I be able to rebalance it after? These are the questions that your brain will process within a second, just like in a real fight when your brain process through a thousand different questions and moves within a second."

"I see…"

She grabbed one of her kodachis. She unsheathed the knife and revealed the blade. She placed the tip of the blade onto her index finger. The blade wobbled and she moved her finger and hand to try and balance the knife to stay. The knife fell forward and hit the ground.

"Now, it could take some time to perfectly balance your weapon on your fingers, but once you understand the concept, you can literally balance anything on your fingertips."

"Anything, huh?"

She looked around the room.

"I'll take that challenge when I get better at this then."

Hours passed by and it was just after one A.M. She finished all of her assignments. She turned off the lights and got into her bed. Just as she was about to close her eyes, she heard her stepmom's voice.

"Let's just send her away! She's nothing but a bother! She's not even a good daughter. At least, we won't have to spend money on her!"

She knew her stepmom was talking about her.

"Now, now. Calm down, Diana. She's my daughter, and I will do everything in my power to protect her. I made a promise to keep her safe and let her grow up in an environment that she liked."

"You're wrong! She's just here to laze off and play around! Don't you love me more than you love her?"

Shiina gritted her teeth, not wanting to know the answer if he said the thing she didn't want to hear.

"My daughter will always be the most important person to me. She will always be my little ninja."

Shiina's eyes widened and she made a slight smile.

"You made a big mistake. I'll show you what she really is!"

There were loud footsteps walking away.

"Thank you…Dad."

* * *

><p>Shiina decided to make her dolls while in class. She didn't want to stay up to do them or else she would be too tired to concentrate. Since she had excellent grades, her teachers would not bother her. Her classmates were confused by the new hobby of the school delinquent, but nobody dared ask her about it since they were scared about the consequences. By lunchtime, she made three dolls, but the first two were too small and the buttons were too big, and the third one was too large and the buttons were the wrong shade of color. She gritted her teeth due to frustration.<p>

"They're still cute…"

"Cute…"

Shiina looked up when she heard a soft, shy voice. She saw a hand move for her first doll. She instinctively grabbed the arm. There was a small yelp.

"T-tamayaki-san!"

Shiina turned her head to look whose arm it was. It was the same girl from yesterday.

"…My bad."

She let go of the girl's arm.

"N-no! I'm the one who should be sorry! I j-just reached out for them without your permission!"

The girl bowed frantically.

"…It's fine."

She took the dolls and put them into her backpack.

"I-i honestly didn't know you could make dolls like that."

Shiina stared at the girl's eyes and opened her mouth to say something. The girl retreated to the classroom door.

"S-sorry for disturbing you again."

The girl bowed one more time. The door opened and then slid closed. Shiina sighed and took out her bento. Then, she proceeded to eat by herself.

The bells rang to signal the end of the school day. She walked out, feeling bitter about making four dolls, and none of them looked the same as her mother's. Then, she noticed something as she walked out the front gates.

"Those guys aren't here today? Heh, I guess they finally realized their inferiority."

She continued walking, and headed for the usual alleyway to feed her little friend. She arrived at the alleyway and let off a short whistle. She waited for a moment, but there was no movement or sound.

"Did he finally get picked up?"

She continued staring down the alleyway.

"Hhe. That's good then. He deserved a nice home."

She started walking to her home.

"Hey, Shiina. Looking for something?"

It was the same, annoying voice from yesterday, the same voice that she threw the kunai at to shut it up. She turned around and glared at the person behind the voice. The gang of delinquents was standing behind her. She continued to glare at them.

"So, what are you doing here, Shiina?"

"None of your business."

"Oh? Actually, it is now."

"Hmm?"

Shiina tilted her head in curiousity.

"If it's a fight you want, I assured you, you'll lose again."

"No, no. We're here on a favor."

"A favor?"

"Yeah. Someone asked us to…how did the person say it? Oh yeah, to turn you into a little whore."

Those words don't faze Shiina. Instead, she laughed at his comment.

"Yeah, like that will ever happen."

"Oh trust me. We'll make it happen."

"Good bluff, but I don't think that will-"

Shiina stopped. She heard a quiet whimper. A whimper that she recognized.

"Oh? So you can hear it? Then you really do have good ears like a ninja then."

One of the boys behind him handed him a white, furry thing.

"Well, will this change your mind?"

He showed Shiina the face of the white furry thing. It had a red, blank collar. Its eyes were filled with fear, and it was shivering. It was the same dog she visited everyday. She gritted her teeth.

"You bastards! What are you doing to him?"

She puts her right hand on one of the kodachis on the belt behind her back.

"Heh. I guess this will work out then. Just accept our terms and we'll let him go."

She glared at him. Her breathing started to become a little shaky.

"What terms?"

"Just yourself up willingly so we can violate your body."

She grunted. She was confronted with a difficult choice that had devastating consequences on both choices. If she gave herself up, at least the puppy will be saved, but she can't. She can't let them do whatever they want with her. Not after what her father said.

"_My daughter will always be the most important person to me. She will always be my little ninja."_

She shook her head. She can't just let this puppy died. He had nothing to do with this. This was her problem, not anybody else's. And yet...

"…no, I refuse."

Those words came out of her mouth. The boy holding the puppy gets an angry expression on his face. Then, he smiled.

"Oh well. I guess we'll just have to do this the hard way."

He took a knife out of his pocket. Shiina's eyes widened. Time slowed down. Seconds felt like minutes. The knife came down onto the puppy's skull. Shiina reached out for the puppy.

"No! Don't-"

Her words were not able to reach him. The collar was stained in blood. The boy snickered and threw the lifeless body in front of Shiina. A pool of blood covered the white coat of the puppy. Her pupils shook in fear, shock, sadness, and rage as she looked at the lifeless body.

"Why…?"

She was barely able to utter that word out. Her lips trembled. She closed her mouth and gritted her teeth. He wasn't even involved. He just wanted a home, a home she couldn't provide for him. He couldn't do anything to them. He just wanted to be fed everyday, fed by her with the only food she could get. He wasn't something that she could save. She had lost her last remaining companion, the only companion that listened to her. Images of the torn doll and the puppy in front of her flashed through her mind. She got lightheaded, but shook her head to bring her back to focus. She reached back for both kodachis.

"How shallow-minded…"

The gang looked at Shiina since she said something they weren't really able to hear.

"Huh? You say something? If you said that you gave up, say it louder since you're going to be screaming in a couple of minutes anyways."

The gang laughed.

"How shallow-minded…"

Her hands grabbed the handles of the kodachis.

"Heh, what are you saying, Shiina?"

Everyone close to her was taken away. Her doll, her friend, and her family were all taken away. A single tear ran down her cheek. It was unreasonable. Why were they taken away from her? Did she do something wrong? All she ever wanted to do was become a ninja and protect the things around her. She wanted to be a ninja so she can be strong and fast to keep her things from being taken away from her. She wanted to be a ninja so she will never let the same tragedy that happened to her mother ever happen again. And yet, why couldn't she get anything right? It's as if God cursed her and took her things away. All of his actions towards her were…shallow-minded.

"How shallow-minded!"

She pulled out her kodachis and charged at the gang. Her scarf hanged on desperately to her neck as she moved with such a speed that turned her into a blur. Her belt buckled wildly as she ran with great speed. The boy in front wasn't able to grasp the situation that he and his gang were in. The intensity in the air was heavy with death and rage. He barely managed to see her and move his shoulder, but Shiina was still able to slice her arm and make a deep cut. She stopped in front of him as he backed up, covering the wounded spot with her other hand. He screamed in pain.

"Y-you bitch! Kill her! I don't care anymore! Kill that bitch!"

Shiina's eyes showed no fear to those words. They were filled with despair and hate, hate towards her own life, towards the world, and towards God. She refused to let anyone take her down. The boy retreated to the back of the gang. Two of the members jumped at Shiina. The first one swung his bat at Shiina's head, but Shiina duck and kicked her legs, making him fall. The second one tries to swing his crowbar overhead onto Shiina, but she easily dodges to the left, making him miss. During the confusion, she grabbed his hand and stabbed it through, making him scream in pain and drop the crowbar as he grabbed the wound on his hand.

"Dammit!"

Three more members surround Shiina. One had a knife while the other three were barehanded. Shiina slipped around the one with the knife and kicked him forward, making him stab one of the other two in the shoulder. She stabbed his shoulder as well, making him lose his grip on the knife that was embedded into the shoulder of the other member. The other barehanded member ran screaming at her. He threw a punch, but Shiina grabbed his arm, made his elbow bend backwards using her knee, and threw him onto the floor. Another member charged at her with a knife. He lunge the knife forward, aiming for her neck. She parried off the knife and sliced his should with her other knife. She could see the murderer of her friend, but there were still five guys in her path.

"Move."

She stated coldly, with no feeling and stared at them with the eyes of someone that will kill anyone in her path. They cautiously took a step back.

"What are you idiots doing? I said to kill her already!"

One of the men charged at her, carrying a piece of wood board. He swung the board down onto her. It stopped. Her knife easily blocked the attack. The boy tried pushing down as hard as he could. He was shaking. She turned her head and stared at the boy.

"If that's what you wish then."

She moves, making the wood board go down and made the boy fall forward. As he fell forward, she stabbed his wrist and slid up his arm as he fell, finally coming out before reaching his shoulder. The rest of the boys started to run away, not wanting to face the demon that Shiina has become.

"H-hey! Get back here! Don't leave me here with-"

Shiina appeared in front of the leader. Her eyes made him fear her more than anything that he could imagine.

"S-shiina! I'm sorry! Please don't kill me! I'm sorry! I truly am!"

"How shallow-minded."

He looked at her in confusion.

"W-what do you mean?"

"Saying sorry for what you done, doesn't mean that you're forgiven."

His eyes get filled with fear. She punched him with all of her might, sending him to the ground a meter in front of her. He tried to crawl away, but Shiina stepped on his back and forced him to stay down.

"Pl-please…don't kill me…"

She glared at him coldly, but she would never kill him. Unlike him, she just doesn't have the heart to take someone's life. She's not a cold blooded murderer, she is a ninja. She only wounded people, not take their lives. That's not what she wanted to do. She just wanted to learn how to fight to protect herself and the things close to her. She never wanted to kill anyone. She took her foot off, and started walking away. There was a little blood on her right hand from when she punched him. She looked at it and remembered the murder that made her go berserk. She turned around and started walking towards the body in the pool of blood. She'll give him a good burial. He deserved that. He listened to her everyday, no matter what her problems were. He was the only one that was happy for her now. He was the only one she could talk to. So, she should at least-

"Guh!"

A sharp pain exploded on the right side of her back. Warm liquid ran down her back and went down her leg.

"Got you…bitch…"

She gritted her teeth in pain and anger. She turned around and stabbed the leader in the stomach. She stared at the person who stabbed her. His eyes started to fade. She left her knife in his body and pushed him away. The pain in her back won't stop. She started panting heavily. There was a butterfly knife stabbed into her, with blood oozing out. She loses feeling in her legs. She started wobbling towards the puppy. Her blood dripped onto the floor as she stumbled over to the puppy. She falls forward, not being to be supported by her legs anymore. She threw her remaing kodachi away. She used whatever power she has left in her arms to crawl to the puppy.

"No…not like this…"

Her fingers began to numb. The lower half of her body felt heavy, as she dragged herself to the puppy.

"Not…yet…"

Blood started spilling out of her mouth every time she took a breath. She struggled to breathe. Her body demanded oxygen and immediate medical attention, but none of those things crossed her mind. All she could think about was not being able to protect anyone. She was a worthless ninja in the end. She wanted to become a stronger ninja. She wanted to eliminate any threat towards her and the ones close to her. She wanted to be stronger. She refused to go down like this. Her right hand becomes heavy and it started to lose its feeling. She pulled her heavy body with all of the power she has left in her body. Her left arm dragged her bleeding body over to the puppy on the ground.

"Dam…mit…"

Her left hand began to feel numb. Her right arm was heavy and useless.

"Why did I…involve you?"

She struggled to catch her breath. The pain in her back was gone, but that was because her body was shutting down.

"Why did…you have to die?"

Her left arm moves slowly and her body inches towards the puppy, which seemed very far away from her.

"I didn't…want this…"

Her vision started to fade in and out of blurriness. All she could do with her eyes was to focus her sight on a white blob over some red liquid. Her left arm started to lose power.

"Why didn't I just stay alone? That way, none of you would have had to die…"

The feeling in her left hand was gone. All she could was reach out to the white blob with her arm, hoping to reach it.

"I can't go yet! I still haven't…"

The world started to fade to black.

"I still haven't…"

Her arm felt heavy. It was the signal that her body has lost all of its energy. It was over.

"…made a true friend yet…"

The world turned into eternal darkness around her.

* * *

><p>Shiina stands in the fields of the afterlife high school. She finally puts down her kodachis after fighting off the numerous amounts of shadows. Her scarf flutters in the slight wind that was coming through. She walks over to the shed near the track field. She opens the door and walks inside.<p>

"I finally understand now, mom."

She walks over to an isle of puppy dolls. There were many different types, but she was never able to make the same one her mother did.

"I know why you gave me that doll."

She grabs a nearby needle and thread.

"You wanted me to never become lonely, right?"

She grabs a dark brown button as she continues walking forward.

"You wanted me to be able to express how I felt with people that I trusted."

She walks past numerous puppy dolls with different colors. Even after she died, she never stopped making them.

"I think I was finally able to find those people."

She shows a small smile across her face.

"And, I was finally able to become the ninja I've always dreamed of."

She continues walking and stops in front of a big box.

"I was able to protect the people around me."

She begins to open it.

"It was scary at first, because they seemed nice."

She reaches in to grab something.

"So, I tried my hardest to not let them get involved with me. I didn't want anyone else to suffer because of me."

She pulls out a white and furry thing.

"But I was wrong, wasn't I? They were just offering their trust."

She puts her button on the string.

"Mom, I finally understand."

She starts to sew the button onto the white thing.

"Being a ninja isn't just having a huge amount of power to make you think you can protect someone."

She continues sewing as the string runs out.

"Being a ninja also means to be able to have friends rely on you, and being able to rely on them."

The string runs out and she removes the needle.

"And for the first time ever, I'm happy with the people around me."

She looks at her finished product. It was a white puppy doll with a red collar going its neck.

"I was finally able to make friends, and I'm really happy."

She picks up the puppy. She looks at it and becomes proud of herself.

"So, in the end, thanks mom, and…"

She puts on a big smile. A smile that she has not displayed in a long time.

"…Shinda Sekai Sensen."

Shiina disappears without notice, only leaving the doll to fall to the floor.


	4. Noda

_Noda_

A boy with short, shaggy, purple hair walked home after school. He did not like his hometown. The gangs had too much freedom and the police hardly did anything to deal with them. So, he set out on a goal. He would be the one to protect the town if nobody else can. He stopped as he saw a female student struggling against three boys around his own age. She had the female uniform from his high school. She had magenta hair that reached down to her shoulders along with bright, green eyes.

"Hey!" he yelled.

He ran at them and grabbed one of their arms before it reached the student.

"What the- hey! What the hell is your problem?!" yelled the thug.

"You're the one with the problem if you're going around and taking money from defenseless people!" accused the purple haired boy.

"Wait, isn't he that crazy kid? What was his name again? Nova…Noka…Noda!" said the thug behind him.

"What do you mean?" asked the third thug.

"Heh. Looks like even you guys know about me."

Noda let the thug's arm go.

"Anyways, don't rob anymore kids."

"Or else what?"

"Or else I'll beat the crap out of you."

"You're going to be the crap out of me? Ha! Yeah, right!"

The thug punched Noda straight in the face. Noda smiled.

"You call that a punch?"

He let out a roar and punched the guy back. The other two thugs joined in and it turned into a brawl. The girl slowly walked away and occasionally glanced back at the boy that saved her. Noda ducked a kick and jumped over a sweep. He blocked a punch and countered with one of his own. A punch hit him in the stomach and he let out a short breath. He saw another punch coming for his eyes. He evaded it and kicked one of the thugs. After a bit more fighting, they stopped. They all gasped for air to try and relieve a bit of their injuries.

"You…you really are crazy…" said one of the thugs.

"Yeah…well…I've been told that before," replied Noda.

He wiped off the blood coming out of his nose.

"Let's get out of here. I don't this guy will stop until he's dead."

The three thugs limped away. Noda glared at them until they were out of sight.

"Heh. That'll teach them. You alri-."

The girl was already gone.

"Tch. Not even a word of appreciation."

He slowly walked home, wincing at the pain of the bruises on each step. If nobody is going to help out others, then he had to be the one that would fix this neighborhood. That was his goal. He wanted to be a hero.

* * *

><p>A school bell rang, signaling the start of lunch. Noda sighed as he dropde a piece of paper onto his desk after looking at the score. His score was blunt and red. Eighteen out of one-hundred. School was never a thing for him.<p>

"Ugh…why am I no good at this?"

He kicked back in his chair and looked up at the roof. He closed his eyes and got ready to doze off through lunch. He never really had anything to eat because he was living alone after his mother was killed in a car accident and his dad left the house during his early high school years. He did not want to be in high school, but…

"Sure as hell better than being on the streets."

"U-um…"

It was a soft voice from a girl.

"What?" he asked bluntly.

"I just wanted to thank you for what you did the other day."

He opened one eye to look at her. It was the girl with the magenta hair that he helped out the other day.

"Don't worry about it."

"H-here."

She handed him a red, packed school lunch box. He had a puzzled look on his face.

"You didn't have to do this, you know."

"Yeah, but…I heard that you never go to the cafeteria or even eat."

"Huh? Where did you hear that?"

"When I was asking around if they knew someone with scruffy, purple hair with an aggressive attitude, they told me to come here during lunch time because you never eat in school."

"Did you really have to add the aggressive attitude part?"

"S-sorry! I did not know how else to describe you."

He was agitated, but he did not want to show it because this girl went through the effort of cooking a lunch and finding him. The least he can do is thank her. He opened up the school box and looked at the food. One side of the box had fried octopus, rice balls, and a rice cracker. The other side had fried eggs and steamed vegetables. He almost shed a tear because this was the best food he had in a while. It had been nothing but shrimp flavored cup ramen every morning and night.

"Sorry that it is not that good. I'm still learning how to cook and…"

Noda started devouring the lunch. He choked on eating too fast. He pounded his chest. The girl saw his gesture and handed a water bottle to Noda.

"Here!"

Noda grabbed it and chugged the water. He let out a deep breath of relief.

"You really shouldn't eat too fast."

"I can't help it. This is pretty good."

The girl blushed a little.

"You think so?"

"Yeah, I really think so. I'll eat the rest later."

"Eh? I'm sure you have better things at home for dinner."

"A lunch like this is better than cup ramen anytime."

"You mean…you don't have anything to eat at home?"

"I live by myself. By the way, what's your name? Mine's Noda."

"Um…my name is Nami."

"Nice to meet you, but you should leave now."

"What? Why?"

"A girl like you shouldn't be seen around someone like me. There will only be bad rumors about you."

"What do you mean?"

Noda turned his attention to a group of girls in the corner of the classroom. He met their eyes with his own, and they all turned away, hoping that Noda did not notice them looking at him. Too late for that.

"I knew it."

He looked at another corner of the room where there was a group of boys glaring at them. They quickly turned around when they saw Noda's eyes. Nami was confused and worried.

"Why were they looking at us?"

"I have some kind of reputation. A violent reputation."

"I see…"

"You should head back to your homeroom. Lunch is almost over. I'll return this box to you tomorrow if you come back here."

"Oh, no. It's fine. You can keep the box. I have a lot more."

"Oh. Well, thanks again."

"Mhm. Goodbye, Noda-kun."

Noda waved as Nami headed for the door. She bowed one more time, then left.

"She really shouldn't get involved with me…"

* * *

><p>"Oh. Hello Noda-kun."<p>

The bell rang, signally the end of the day. Students walked out of school to get home. Some stayed behind for clubs, but Noda had no place in any of those clubs. He tried, but his aggression would often cause conflicts within the clubs, and as a result, he would be kicked out either on the first meeting, or the next. Noda just walked home everyday and did not bother to look back at his school when the final bell rang. However…

"Nami? What are you doing?"

Noda was annoyed with the person in front of him. He wished that she did not have to be more involved in his problems.

"I…kind of…have a favor to ask you…"

"Say it."

"Can you walk me home today?

"Huh? Didn't you walk home all of the other days before meeting me?"

"I had friends to walk with, but they have club activities today. So…"

Noda could not patrol his neighborhood if he was her. Then again, what if she was mugged again and it got even worse because he was not there? Will he be a hero for her or his home? Will he…

"Um…Noda-kun. It's fine. You don't have to if you're busy…"

Noda thought for too long. Nami had a disappointed look on her face, despite having a small smile.

"Oh…no. It's not that."

"Ah ha…it was stupid. Forget I asked you. Goodbye and have a safe trip home."

She began walking off.

"Wait! I'll walk you home."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I don't have anything to do."

A big smile appeared on her face.

"Okay."

He blushed and turned away to not let her see.

"Let's just go already," he said.

Both of them began walking away.

"So, did you have to get home because you have family waiting?" asked Nami.

"I don't have anyone waiting for me at my house," answered Noda.

"Oh…you as well."

"You don't have anyone? I expected you to have your parents at least."

"No…all I have left are my aunt and uncle, but they work in a city far away. They send the money to pay for a house they rented for me. What about you?"

"My mom died in a car accident and my old man ran away from the pressure. All I have left are some pity money from my grandmother and the small house I was left with."

"Sorry…"

Nami's eyes lowered, as if she heard something she was not supposed to.

"Oh, it's fine. It's been long enough for me that I don't care anymore. All I can do now is carry on."

"Yeah…sorry for asking."

"No, it's fine. Besides, I was the one that started it."

They walked on for five minutes without another word.

"Th-this is pretty awkward," thought Noda.

"So uh…where do you live?" asked Noda.

"Oh! Uh…just a little more down this road," answered Nami.

"Weird…my house is also down this road."

"Really? That is very convenient then."

"Yeah, I guess so."

They reached Nami's house. It was a one story white house with finely crafted windows and doors. It seemed like it would fit Nami's gentle and subtle nature. However, the same could not be said for the house next door. The house next door was in rough shape. The roof tiles were beginning to crack and fall off. The road leading up to the front door was littered with high grass and multiple species of weed. Nami gave off a small nervous laugh while Noda's right eye twitched.

"We live right next to each other?!" exclaimed Noda.

"Who would have thought, right?" asked Nami nervously.

They walked up to Nami's door.

"Well…thank you for walking me home, but I guess it's pointless to say that since you also brought yourself home."

"It was nothing. I guess I can just return your box to you tomorrow morning."

"No, no. Like I said, it's fine. I have plenty. Well, goodnight, Noda-kun."

"Goodnight, Nami."

Nami unlocked the door and went in. Noda walked off of the property and headed to his house next door.

"I guess it's time for another night shift…"

* * *

><p>Noda yawned as the lunch bell rang. His stomach growled from a morning without breakfast. He decided to stay in the classroom like usual. He closed his eyes and leaned on his left arm, preparing for a nap.<p>

"Noda-kun~"

Noda opened his right eye at the familiar voice. A neatly wrapped boxed was dropped on his desk. It was a yellow lunchbox with large, black spots randomly placed around it.

"I told you to not come back here," groaned Noda.

"Yeah, but it is not as if it is against a law or something like that," answered Nami.

Noda sighed.

"Oh right…"

He reached into his backpack and pulled out the red lunchbox from yesterday.

"Here."

"Oh…thank you."

Nami took a closer look at Noda's face, especially his eyes. They were heavy and deeply blackened.

"You look…exhausted. Could not sleep last night?" asked Nami.

Noda was still exhausted from last night. There was not much to do, but he still stayed up two hours later than usual.

"I'm fine. Besides, shouldn't you eat? If you keep bringing me lunches, you won't get any for yourself."

Nami shook her head and pulled out a pink striped lunchbox.

"I am always prepared!" said Nami with an accomplished look on her face.

Noda was about to tell her to stop, but if she was willing to get up extra early just to make an extra lunch…

"Eh…" groaned Noda.

He looked down at the lunchbox. A lot of work went into this. He opened it. It was the same lunch as yesterday. Still better than eating cup ramen everyday. He proceeded to devour the food. Nami smiled and proceeded to eat her lunch as well.

"Thanks for the food, Nami."

"It was a pleasure. It was thanks for walking me home yesterday."

"I don't think it counts if we live next to each other…" thought Noda.

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.

"Oh! Well, goodbye Noda-kun."

"Uh…yeah. See ya."

She rushed out the classroom. Noda could not see it, but he can just sense the amount of people that were watching and talking about them.

"At least I had lunch."

* * *

><p>"Ready for another walk home, Noda-kun?"<p>

Noda sighed. Nami had the same smile as always.

"Yeah, let's go."

They started walking home.

"Noda-kun, how come you are not in any afterschool activities?"

"I guess you can say that I just don't get along with the people in our school."

"But…you get along with me right?"

He did not know how to answer that.

"It is fine if you do not answer. I am just glad that I am able to talk and walk with you."

Noda blushed a little. Nobody has even said that; let alone a girl.

"I-I see…"

"What do you usually-"

"Stop right there," demanded a voice from behind.

Both of them turned around. It was a group of teenage boys. Some had beanies and plain t-shirts. Others had on ripped jackets and jeans.

"This looks like trouble…" thought Noda.

"Um…hello?" asked Nami.

"Noda," said the guy in front of the group.

He said it in a way that would make his name sound disgusting. Noda's eyes narrowed and started to become more alert.

"You roughed up three of my guys the other day. We were wondering when you would show up."

"Oh right. Those assholes couldn't even handle me. Are you sure you're really in charge of a gang and not a group of pussies?"

"What?!" "I'm going to kill him!" "What did he just say?!" "Let's break his legs!"

The group was getting rowdy from that comment. The leader put his arm up to silence the group.

"So, you have a mouth. Let's see if it can still function after we bash your skull in."

"Noda-kun…"

Noda looked at Nami. She was frightened of the situation. In the end, he could only say one thing:

"Run."

"What?!"

"Run Nami!"

Noda blindly charged at the group.

* * *

><p>Noda groaned at the bruises and cuts he got from the fight. He had a blood dripping out of his nose that he wiped away occasionally. His arms and legs were sore all over due to multiple blows. There was a cut on his forehead and there was still a trail of blood sliding off the side of his face. The only reason why he was able to limp away was because a police car drove by. They were able to stop the fight and Noda made it out during the commotion. He reached the street that his house was on. Finally, he can rest up from his injuries and exhaustion.<p>

"At least I don't have to worry about them for a while."

As he approached his house, there was someone sitting in front of his door. Noda smiled as he saw who it was.

"Phew. Nami's safe," thought Noda.

Nami looked up at the approaching footsteps. She had a worried look on her face and her worries grew as she saw the damage on Noda.

"Yo…" said Noda as he weakly put up an arm to greet her.

"Y-you're badly hurt!" exclaimed Nami.

"I'll be fine. Just let me rest up a bit in my house."

Noda tried to push her out of the way to enter his house, but he was barely able to convince her that he could push her. Nami grabbed his hand.

"No! You're coming with me this instant!"

"Wha-"

She pulled him along to her house.

"I told you. I'm fine."

He was in no condition to stand much longer and just wanted to sit down. Besides, he does not think he would be able to convince her with these injuries.

"Alright, alright. Just…slow down a bit. It's a little hard for me to walk."

Nami slowed her pace and let Noda catch his breath. They already arrived in front of her house.

"Tonight, you're staying with me until you heal up. Got it?!" demanded Nami.

"What's with the change of character?!" exclaimed Noda.

"Hmph. I have to be like this or else you will never listen."

She pulled out a key and opened her front door. The inside smelled so nice to Noda. Either that or he was getting light headed. She pulled him in.

"Well…"

She finally let go of his hand and started to blush.

"W-welcome to my home. It's not much but it is cozy."

She was right. It looked really nice from the outside, but on the inside there was not much. There was a lonely chair and desk in the back of the living room. A small clock with the look of a brown owl hung above a small television that sat on a white stand in front of the living room. The kitchen was plain, but complete with everything that is needed to prepare food. The bedroom had a single, small bed with a rolled up futon in the corner. However, there was one thing that would catch anyone's attention as soon as they enter this house.

"What is that?!" shouted Noda.

Even in his exhausted state, he could not help but point out the giant, stone samurai statue in the corner. In its hands was a giant, black halberd.

"Oh, that is a family decoration passed down from generation to generation. Since my parents were the one that had it, it was passed down onto me," answered Nami.

"How could anyone even move that thing…?"

"My uncles are strong people."

She tried to flex, but with skinny arms, it does not add much to a muscular image. She gave off a slight, nervous smile.

"I see…"

She grabbed the chair and pulled it up to Noda.

"Here. Take a seat. You must be exhausted."

"Thanks…"

Noda fell clumsily into the chair. His body nearly gave out to the desire of resting.

"Just stay there. Let me get some stuff to treat your cuts."

She walked off into her bathroom. He looked around, but was only interested in one thing.

"Hey big guy. I wonder if you were a hero at one point," thought Noda as he looked at the statue.

She returned with rubbing alcohol, toilet paper, a wet cloth, and a couple of Band-Aids.

"This will sting a little."

"I know. I'm used to it."

"Used to it?"

She dips some toilet paper in the alcohol and rubs the cut on his head. He barely even felt the sting after treating himself often.

"You mean you've done this many times before then?"

"Yeah. It's the reason why I have the reputation at school."

"I see…"

She wiped away the dried blood from his nose and face with the cloth. She also wiped away the remaining alcohol with the toilet paper and placed a Band-Aid on his cut. His cut was no longer throbbing in pain. He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Thanks, but I can handle myself from here on."

He got up and took a step. Then, his leg refused to move anymore. It was as if his leg gave up on him due to the bruises and exhaustion. He can feel the rush of heat coming off of his blood as it gathered in his leg to try and move it. It was still immovable.

"I can tell you are barely able to move just from the amount of effort in trying to lift a leg. Your heavy, raspy breathing is not helping either."

She was right. He did not even notice how hard he was breathing due to his body trying to use the energy that was not there.

"Eh…I'll be…"

The world turned into a blur around him. Time moved so fast for him as his movements were sluggish and awkward.

"On second thought…"

That was it. His body tried its best to stay awake, but Noda's stubbornness did not allow it to rest. It can only do what a body needs to do when it is desperate for a long rest.

"Noda!"

He fell to the floor with a loud thud.

* * *

><p>Whiteness. All Noda saw was white. He took in what just happened as he stared at the blankness of the ceiling. He was sore all over, but at least his limbs obeyed him.<p>

"You're finally awake," said Nami.

"I…passed out," said Noda in realization.

Nami nodded.

"It's already been an entire day. I had a doctor come over to look at you just in case something was wrong, but he said you were just exhausted. I'm glad that you're fine."

"A whole day? Damn…I must have really messed myself up."

"Yep. School is already over for today. Okay, back to cooking!"

"Eh?"

"It's time for dinner. You must be starving from not eating for an entire day."

"Don't worry. I'm not that hungry."

His stomach growled at that instant, as if it was responding to Nami's comment and rebelling against Noda's stubbornness. He blushed out of embarrassment.

"Well, your stomach doesn't lie."

"Shut up…"

"You wait here. I'll go prepare dinner."

"Alright then."

She stood and walked out of the room. A single thought ran through his mind.

"When was the last time someone cooked for me in bed…?"

His head fell back onto the pillow.

"I can't complain. She's good at cooking."

A small scream came from the kitchen. His brain went into alert mode and he leapt to his feet. He ran out of the room and looked right. The closed front door was there. He immediately turned left. Nami caused an oil fire in a frying pan. The fire itself was not that big and could easily be put out by pouring it in the sink. However, Nami seemed traumatized by the fire. Her lips quivered and she was on the verge of tears. Her hands clutched her chest as stared at the fire.

"Nami!" shouted Noda.

That woke up Nami as she let out a small gasp. Noda ran over to the pan and grabbed it. It burned his skin on contact.

"Gah! That really hurts!" screamed Noda in pain.

He shoved it into the nearby sink and gently poured water over it to make sure the oil does not fly out. The fire quickly subsided. He drenched his hands completely in cold water to hopefully relieve the burning sensation.

"Noda…"

"Ah…are you okay Nami?"

The pain was still there in his hands, but he was able to bear with it. She slightly nodded.

"What happened?"

"Sorry…I was really careless. I was thinking about something and I accidently let the food burn for too long."

She looked at his hands. They were stained red with the burn from the pan handle. He noticed her eyes and quickly hid them in his pockets.

"…your hands got burned."

"Eh…don't worry about it. It's not too bad."

Her eyes blurred up as tears begin to form.

"H-hey…don't cry. It could have been way worse."

"Yeah…"

"I guess we won't have dinner tonight."

"Well…I still have cup ramen if you want that."

"More than enough for me."

He smiled to reassure that everything is fine. She smiled lightly then focused her eyes to the floor, too ashamed of not being able to make dinner.

Noda slurped up his ramen. Nami barely touched her cup. They both sat next to each other up against the wall facing the television. Noda did not feel right turning on a television he did not own and Nami was still feeling down from earlier.

"Ah…just like home. Hmm? Your ramen is getting cold," said Noda.

"I'm not that hungry…" mumbled Nami.

This was odd to Noda. A small fire is nothing to be this depressed about. This silence is just a little unbearable for him, especially when the ramen was cooking.

"Uh…"

Noda thought about asking if something was wrong, but he decided not to.

"I'm sure there are things she rather not say," thought Noda.

"No, never mind," he said out loud.

The awkward silence continued for a couple of minutes.

"Would it be rude to leave a girl alone when she looks this depressed? Would it be rude not to break the silence? Would it be better or worse to ask about what happened back there?"

Thoughts flew around in Noda's head as his body attempted to sweat out the panic.

"Maybe I'm just making things worse by staying here. What will make this situation less awkward? Should I say something funny to cheer her up? No no no no no no! That'll just be stupid! C'mon Noda! Think dammit, think! You can come up with-"

"Um…"

Nami's soft voice silenced his panicking brain.

"I'm sorry for making it so awkward. I should not be acting like this."

"Ah…don't worry about it. I'm used to silence since I'm always alone at home. At least here, I can talk with someone and not think I'm going crazy."

She lets out a small giggle, but the silence continued as Nami stares at the floor. Noda has had enough of this silence.

"Hey Nami…what happened back there?"

She bit her lower lip. She brought her knees in and hugged them. However, she remained silent.

"Sorry…that was probably a bad thing to ask. I'll leave now if you want."

Noda started to get up, but Nami tugged on his shirt.

"Nami?"

"I'm…afraid of fire."

That statement confused him.

"What? How do you cook so much then?"

"I love cooking, but I have to keep the fire at a low level so it does not scare me. I always wake up at four AM in order to make lunch on time. When you woke up, I was so excited to make dinner that I accidently left the fire on 'high.' Then, the food caught on fire and I just…couldn't do anything…"

Noda patted her head. She looked up at him.

"Nobody has ever been excited to see me. It's always 'look, it's that idiot again' or 'here he comes again.' It's kind of refreshing to see someone make food when I show up. So, don't beat yourself up over this kind of thing."

"But…your hands…"

"Don't worry about it. They don't even hurt anymore. If they did, I wouldn't be here patting you, right?"

She smiled. He finally broke through.

"Anyways, I really think I should be going now. Because…"

He sniffed himself.

"…I smell like trash. Anyways, see you at school tomorrow."

He retracted his hand and proceeded to walk out the door.

"Um…Noda-kun?"

He turned his head to look at her.

"Hmm?"

"Do you…do you mind staying here for one more night?"

A red color lit up his face. Nami gave off a small blush. A girl just asked him to stay for the night. This was a new experience for Noda.

"What do I say? What do I say?!" thought Noda.

"It's fine if you don't want to. It was silly of me to ask that," said Nami as she gave off a nervous smile.

"She must lonely here if she's asking me to stay. Not to mention that she was excited enough to overcook her food…"

"Noda-kun?"

She tilted her head sideways at Noda's silence.

"Uh…sure. I'll take a shower at my place first and grab my things."

She beamed off a warm smile.

"Okay!"

He swore his heart just skipped a beat at that smile.

"Y-yeah…so…be right back."

She nods. He opened the door and exited. He looked at his house.

"It's only for one night I guess," said Noda out loud.

Little did he know that he will find himself staying longer than just one night.

* * *

><p>A month passed by since Noda first stayed over at Nami's house. Of course, that meant that Noda could not go on his nightly patrols anymore. This bothered him because he swore to be the town's hero, but it is hard to sneak out of the house when the owner woke up earlier than the sun. Besides, he never did tell her what he does at night.<p>

"Meh…the town is just going to need to take care of itself for a bit," thought Noda as he waited for Nami to get ready.

"I'm almost done!" shouted Nami from her room.

"Alright. I'll be waiting at the door!" answered Noda.

She ran in as he began opening the door.

"Ready?" asked Noda.

"Mhm!" replied Nami.

They walked out and began their walk to school. Noda yawned as he walked.

"Noda-kun? Did you not get enough sleep again?" asked Nami.

"It's never enough sleep…" answered Noda.

"It's a bad habit to develop laziness. Eight hours of sleep is more than enough. Now hurry up!"

"Yes ma'am…"

He trudged behind Nami. She giggled at his response.

"I sound like a mother there, didn't I?" asked Nami.

"That must mean you're getting wrinkles then," answered Noda.

"I am not!"

He ran up in front of her. He pointed his finger at her forehead.

"Then, what's this?"

"Eh? Are you serious?"

He flicked her forehead.

"Ow."

"Nope. I guess it was nothing."

"Noda-kun…you're so mean…"

She started tearing up. Noda's turned red.

"S-sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you that much!"

He closed his eyes and bowed as an apology. She smiled and flicked his forehead.

"Eh?"

"Got you~"

His face glowed red from the realization of being tricked.

"Nami…I think you're the mean one here…"

"Oh? Who was the one rude enough trick someone into thinking they had wrinkles and then flicking their forehead?"

He was defeated again.

"Uh…"

She ran ahead.

"Hurry, Noda-kun! You don't want to get stuck at the door again, right?"

She smiled brightly and made Noda speechless. This was a different feeling from his mother's smile from when he was a child. The world slowed around him as he marveled at her smile. This girl accepted him, fed him, gave him a new home, enjoyed his company, and gave him a new point of view on life. That was when the realization hit him.

"I didn't want to protect the town because I wanted to be a hero…"

She waved at him to get him to move. He smiled back at her and started walking to catch up with her.

"I wanted to protect the town to preserve that…"

"Let's go Noda-kun."

"Yeah. Let's go."

"I wanted to preserve that special smile…and, I want to protect this girl."

They walked their way to school, but someone watched them from afar. It was one of the boys from the other day. He got all he needed to bring down the annoying so-called hero named Noda.

* * *

><p>"Yo, Noda!"<p>

A voice interrupted Noda and Nami on their way home. Noda turned his head to look at the source of the voice. It was the same group from a week ago. Noda let out a small sigh.

"Noda-kun?" asked Nami.

"Let's just go. There's no point in staying behind for these guys," answered Noda.

"C'mon Noda! Just stay for a bit. We can talk about your dead mother if you want…"

Noda clenched his fist, but quickly relaxed his hands.

"They're trying to get me to fight them. It's not going to work. Let's just go."

They continued walking. The one in front gritted his teeth.

"Alright then. How about we talk about your girlfriend?"

Nami let out a short breath of panic. Noda stopped when he noticed it.

"Nami?"

"I-it's nothing. Like you said, let's keep going."

"Ten years ago…there was a large fire in a certain someone's house!"

That statement stopped Nami completely. Her eyes widened and let out a deep breath. Noda realized the connection between her fear of fire and that statement. His eyes flared and he gave off a small growl at the harassment from the group.

"Nami. Let's leave. Now. Don't listen to them."

"Let's see…from what was reported, there was only one survivor of the incident."

"No…not this…" whispered Nami.

Noda noticed the trauma being written all over her face. She was sweating, her eyes were wide open but unfocused, her lips quivered and her body shook from reliving that bad memory.

"Nami? Nami!"

Noda grabbed her shoulders and looked straight into her eyes.

"Noda…make it stop…"

Tears rolled down her face. At this moment, she wanted someone to get her out of here. Get her away from the bad memories.

"There's a reason why the survivor moved here. She was trying to escape that memory," taunted the leader.

"No…" whimpered Nami.

Noda had enough. He clenched his fist which caused every knuckle to crack loudly. He turned and glared at the group. They enjoyed Nami's suffering. This was all because they wanted to get to Noda.

"They have my attention now…" growled Noda.

"But, like you Noda, she can't escape. And now, she's stuck with some idiot trying to play hero."

He stormed towards the group without a care about what happened to him. All he cared about what shutting them up from hurting Nami any further.

"Ha! I guess you two do belong with each other in the end. Both of you had parents that wanted to get away so badly that they killed themselves!"

That broke all reason within him. He let out a roar as he charged at the leader. The leader put up his arms to block Noda's punch, but it was useless. Noda unleashed all of his strength into a bone shattering punch. It was not a punch to hurt, but rather a punch with the intention of ripping the jaws off of this person's face. Bones cracked as Noda collided with the leader's arm, allowing the punch to obliterate the leader's jaw. The leader flew the floor a couple of feet away.

"Now shut the hell up," stated Noda as he glared at the leader on the floor.

The group quickly looked at their leader and turned their attention onto Noda. They let out their own battle cries as they rushed at him.

"Stop right there!"

A police officer interrupted the impeding conflict.

"You guys are the ones mugging the students around here! I'm taking all of you in!"

Panicked, the members ran in every direction. One bumped into Noda's shoulder, which knocked Noda back into his sense. His knuckles were stained by the blood from the fallen leader. Noda turned back to Nami. She was still on the floor.

"Crap!"

He rushed over to Nami. He shook her shoulders. She was still lost within herself.

"Dammit. Nami, hang on!"

He lifted her up into his arms and started walking home.

"I'm no hero. I'm causing more pain to others than helping. Dammit! Damn it all!" shouted Noda as he carried Nami away.

* * *

><p>Seconds ticked away on the clock above Nami's television. It has been a couple of hours since the outburst. His knuckles were sore from the collision, but it did not matter because he worried more about Nami. Both of them stared at the white floor in front of them, lost in their separate thoughts. Noda finally understood why Nami was here alone.<p>

"She lost her parents in a large fire. No wonder she's afraid of fire. Her relatives must have offered a house back at her hometown, but she refused to stay near that place due to the trauma."

He tapped his head onto the wall behind him.

"I knew I should've just ignored her. That way, she could keep on living without having to remember that scene."

Noda eternally blamed himself for Nami's state of depression. Suddenly, something fell onto his shoulder. He immediately took a mandatory blink and looked down. Nami rested her head onto his shoulder.

"Nami?"

"Noda-kun…don't blame yourself," requested Nami.

The ability to read him like a book still fascinated Noda.

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"You're taking short breaths, banging your head on the wall, and now, stuttering to talk. You can't really fool me."

"Oh…am I really that really that easy to read?"

"No…it's just something I picked up while you were here. This sort of behavior is different from normal."

Noda took a big sigh.

"Noda-kun…please don't regret meeting me."

That statement interrupted his breathing.

"No matter what happens, I'm glad that I met you Noda-kun. I will never regret meeting you. You are strong, loyal, protective, and caring. That was all I needed. When bad things happened, you were there for me. I don't know what would happen if I didn't meet you. I might be here eating alone still, being lost in that memory. That group would have mugged me or do even worse things. However, you were there that day. You didn't have to save me, but you still went out of your way to make sure I was safe. I was both frightened and amazed by the crazy boy that fought off a group by himself. It was at that moment when I realized that there were heroes out there. Ones that did things that were right and wanted to protect others. So please, don't regret meeting me."

Noda continued staring at the ground.

"I'm glad that you existed Noda-kun. And…well…I…"

He could not let her finish those words.

"Sorry, Nami. I don't think I should stay here anymore," answered Noda.

"What?"

He got up and Nami quickly followed.

"I think the best thing is to let you live out your life peacefully without a having someone like me attracting danger and trouble. I should return back to my house."

"But-"

"That group won't stop until they die out or I stop living. Please Nami. I can't let you get in danger anymore."

She stared with a confused expression on her face.

"Noda-kun?"

"Don't worry. We will always be friends. I'll just live at my house from now on so they won't come after you."

"Wait!"

He headed for the door.

"What about you though? What will happen if they get to you?"

He smiled at turned at her.

"I think you already know that answer, Nami."

She did know. If it meant protecting someone or something, he was willing to die for it. He accepted this ideal a long time ago, and now, it means more than it ever has.

"See you at school tomorrow, Nami."

"Mhm…"

She nodded slowly and heavily. He opened the door and headed over to his house. He reached his front door and looked at Nami's house.

"If anyone has a chance of escaping our past, then it should be Nami…" thought Noda as he entered the broken down house.

* * *

><p>Several hours passed since the departure of Noda from Nami's home. The night was cold and dark. The same group marched towards the street of Nami's and Noda's house.<p>

"Wiff one wa id? (Which one was it?)" asked the leader with a broken jaw.

"It was the white house. I saw him entering and leaving it several times. I'm sure it's his house," answered one of the boys.

"I am siff and tiref off fis yafass…(I am sick and tired of this jackass…)"

"Uh…what did he say?" asked another member.

"I think he said something about a jackass," answered a third member.

They stopped in front of Nami's house.

"This is it boss. Noda's house," answered the first member.

"Perfed. (Perfect.)"

He revealed the Molotov cocktail in his hand.

"Gif me de lighder. (Give me the lighter.)"

"Are you sure you want to do this boss?" asked another member.

"I'm coing do yail anyyays. Dis yuy needs do die. (I'm going to jail anyways. This guy needs to die.)"

"Okay then…"

The member handed him a lighter. He briskly started a small fire and lit the Molotov cocktail.

"Donide, deh yero yill die. (Tonight, the hero will die.)"

He threw the Molotov cocktail at Nami's front wall, which caught fire almost immediately. They scurried away as the building began catch on fire.

* * *

><p>Noda tossed and turned in his uncomfortable bed. Barely asleep, but it was still sleep nonetheless. He just needed to lay low at his own place until the members are in jail. Then, he can go back to living with Nami. He dreamt of Nami's words.<p>

"I'm glad that you existed Noda-kun. And…well…I…"

He was afraid of her finishing that. He refused to think that he was good enough for a girl like Nami. She was athletic, smart, kind, and caring. She accepted him and cared for him when nobody else did. She never belittled or pitied him. Not to mention, he loved seeing that wonderful smile of hers. Noda's body detected an abnormality in the air. His nose reacted to an uncommon odor. He sniffed a couple more times and slowly opened his eyes.

"Is that…smoke?" asked Noda half dazed.

The corner of his right eye caught a small flicker of an orange light. Smoke and bright orange. His mind raced to deny the situation that these things lead to. He slowly turned his head to the right and looked out the window. His heart and spirit sank as he saw the burning building that he was just in earlier.

"Nami!" shouted Noda to wake himself up.

He leapt out of bed and ran to his front door. He bashed through it and sprinted across the yard to reach the house. He tried opening the door. The handle burned his hand.

"Ah! Fuck!"

He took a couple of steps back and rammed into the door with his right shoulder. The door budged, but did not open. He took several more steps back and charged at it with a greater force. This time, it completely destroyed the hinges the door was on. A red and orange scene confronted him as he entered the house. The heat was unbearable and the smoke filled his lungs, forcing him to cough.

"Na…*cough*…Nami!" shouts Noda at the top of his lungs.

No answer. He ran into her room. She was there, huddled in a corner with her hands over her head in fear. The fire was too much for her to handle.

"Nami!"

He ran over to her and grabbed her arm.

"No-noda-kun…" cried Nami.

"C'mon! We have to get out of here!"

He dragged her out of the room with the front door in sight. However, a large wood beam from the ceiling has lodged diagonally in front of the door. There was no way he can lift it up with his bare hands as it was on fire as well. He looked around. Nami coughed furiously. He spotted the halberd from the statue. He went for it. The metal itself was not as hot as anything else. He pulled it out with all of his might.

"C'mon Nami. I'm going to use this to keep the door open! You have to go through!"

She nodded while coughing. He pushed the halberd up to hoister the large beam of wood with a large enough gap for Nami to crawl through.

"Go! Now!"

She began crawling through. However, the halberd began cracking. Noda noticed this and saw only one option. He held the halberd at the crack until Nami was all the way through to the outside. Nami expected him to follow. However, Noda knew there was no way out for him. This halberd can no longer hold up the beam. This halberd was only meant to allow one person to get through. The ceiling cracked above Noda. He held onto the halberd, not ready to accept his own death.

"Damn. I wasn't able to say it to her…" thought Noda.

The ceiling cracked further. Nami stared in horror at the impending doom. Noda looked at Nami's face one last time.

"I regret not being able to say it. I still wanted to do so many things with this girl…"

The ceiling fell onto him.

"The girl named…Nami…"

The world erased itself, and all that remained was darkness.

* * *

><p>Noda stands alone on a bridge in the afterlife high school. He stares at a pic of the girl named Yuri Nakamura, who resembles a girl he once knew. The name still rings in his head every time he looks at Yuri. He lets out a small laugh.<p>

"I'm an idiot. Nami isn't here. She's moved on with her life."

He continues looking at the picture of Yuri.

"Yeah. She might look like Nami, but she's nothing like her. Yuri is strong, courageous, and a leader, but she's not Nami."

He looks at the high school. The place where he was accepted and even depended on.

"Nami…I found some good friends here. They're all crazy and stupid, but I guess that's how we got along."

A single tear rolls down his face.

"Even though I wanted to see you again, I'm glad that you're not here. If I did see you here, I would only be happy for a small amount of time before I realize that you died young and full of regrets. Not seeing you here made happier than seeing you again. It means that you were able to live a fulfilling life."

He smiles.

"Yeah…I was able to protect you that day…and I was able to protect everyone here."

He looks up at the empty sky.

"In the end…I became a hero…for you and these guys…"

The blue sky seems so expansive to him.

"Hey Nami…wait for me in the next life. That way, I will find you, protect you and…live with you until we grow old together…"

A single photo of Yuri Nakamura falls onto the river below. It drifts away as its owner disappears.

* * *

><p><em>Author's note: Sorry about taking forever to update this. A lot of stuff has happened in my life recently such as college and work. Hopefully, I can get these out at least once a month.<em>


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